The summer heat sears on the streets of Havana. Children play ball in the front yard, as the older folks stay in the shade sipping cool drinks and talking about politics, religion and local gossip.

There is no ocean breeze whistling through palm trees in this Havana. And, you will not find Fidel Castro ruling with an iron fist. This Havana lies in the shadows of Mount Magazine in western Yell County, and the residents are excited about the upcoming football season.

"We are beginning our second year of varsity football," Wolverine head coach Mark Tolton said. "We are anticipating some big things this season. We scared some people last season."

Tolton said he was happy with the way practice had gone the first few weeks of practice.

"Things have been going very well. I am very excited about our numbers," Tolton said. "Everyone has been working hard in the weight room and on the practice field."

Tolton said there were currently 21 players going through two-a-day practices. Tolton said there are seven seniors on the team, and he was pleased with their leadership abilities.

"They talk to motivate each other," Tolton said. "They definitely lead by example. They put forth a lot of effort in the weight room and in conditioning at the beginning of two-a-days."

Tolton said the heat had not been too bad on the players. He said early practices and plenty of water had helped the Wolverines deal with the heat.

"For the first two weeks we practiced from 7:30-10:30 a.m. each day. This week we are practicing from 7-9 p.m.," Tolton said. "We make sure that players get plenty of breaks, make sure they stay hydrated. It's going to be hot the first three or four games anyway, so we have to be prepared."

Western Yell County went winless last season, suffering an 0-9 record. Tolton said he saw lots of potential in last season's team which gives him high hopes for this season.

"Last season, we played very hard against Mountain Pine. We made numerous fourth-down stops," Tolton said. "Against Hartford, we played a really good ball game for a half before we just ran out of gas. We stayed within 8-10 points up until the final quarter against them. We ended the game with more than 400 yards of total offense."

Tolton said one factor the he wanted the team to focus on this season was consistency.

"We've got to play with a lot more consistency. We gotta be able to play a whole game," Tolton said. "We've got to have all 11 to play a full ball game all the time. We are going to have to step up and play together."

Tolton said he was really pleased with the way the team had grown conditioning wise during the past year.

"A lot of our ability to progress as much as we have in such a short time has to do with our off-season program," Tolton said. "Last season's team had never been through an off-season program. These kids have bought into the concept and understand that you just can't show up, put on a jersey and play a game."

Tolton said the team still has room for improvement, but admits it has come a long way since last season.

"We have definitely come a long way since this point last season, but we still have some work that needs to be done," Tolton said. "Last season, we had a hard time tackling and playing aggressively. We have definitely improved in that area over the year."

The Wolverines open the 2007 season Aug. 31 as Cutter Morning Star comes to Western Yell County.